


Super Powered Love

by bygoshbygolly



Category: Original Work
Genre: Age Difference, F/F, Getting Together, Heart-to-Heart, Injury, Mentor/Protégé, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 15:30:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8107822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bygoshbygolly/pseuds/bygoshbygolly
Summary: The Silver Star retired from superheroing.
Two years later, Emma Steele gets a visitor. Alex Silva has developed powers, and she wants Emma's help in learning how to use them.
Things get complicated.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fenellaevangela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fenellaevangela/gifts).



> There is reference to injury of a baby in the fic, but not with long-lasting repercussions, just a heads up.
> 
> Title from the Kirby Krackle song of the same name.

_DYNAMIC DAMSEL DISAPPEARS AFTER DOWNTOWN DEVASTATION!_  
March 4, 2014  
Venn City’s favorite superhero, Silver Star, has not been seen in the two weeks since the villain Tarantella caused a localized earthquake downtown, destroying several buildings, including Town Hall, and resulting in 37 deaths. Despite Silver Star’s valiant efforts and quick thinking, a visiting tour bus was crushed by a falling building. 

_SUPERHERO SILVER STAR SAYS “SO LONG”_  
March 15, 2014  
Yesterday afternoon, Silver Star announced her retirement in a press conference in front of The Venn Chronicle. After six years of defending Venn City from villains, petty criminals, and alien attack, the superhero has said that she is quitting crime-fighting for personal reasons. 

~~~~

_Two years later_

Emma Steele opened the door to find a nervous young woman on her front step.

“Hello?”

“Emma Steele?” the woman asked. Her voice was soft and low.

“That's me,” Emma said. “How can I help you?” She smiled pleasantly.

“The same Emma Steele who used to be the Silver Star?” Emma’s face shuttered and she went to close the door. “Wait!” The woman grabbed the edge of the door. Emma tugged it, carefully at first, then using her full strength when the woman's grip didn't fail. To her surprise, it didn't budge.

“You're not a reporter, are you?” she asked. The young woman bit her lip and shook her head. “Good,” Emma sighed, opening the door and gesturing the woman inside. “I hate reporters.”

“So,” Emma said, dropping down into her favorite armchair and looking at the young woman. “Who are you, and how did you find me?”

“I'm Alex-- Alexandra. Alex Silva.” Alex tapped her fingers against her legs nervously. “And don't worry, it wasn't easy finding you. I just.” She bit her lip again. “I needed to. I think that I have the same powers as you, and I don't know what to do.”

Emma studied Alex carefully. She was tall, and solidly built, with deep olive skin and short black hair. She certainly _looked_ strong, but more importantly, she'd been able to hold the door open against Emma using her full strength.

“I see,” she replied, carefully. “What sort of powers are we talking about?”

“Oh, well, I have super-strength. At least, I'm really strong. Stronger than I used to be, anyway. And I can jump really high, like I could jump onto your roof, no problem.” Alex ticked things off on her fingers as she spoke. “I'm also fast? Not like Lightspeed in Goldenrod, but still pretty fast.” She paused and frowned, thinking. “I think that's it. I'm also hungry, like, all the time. I don't think that's a superpower, but it might be related, I guess.” She looked at Emma, dark eyes wide and pleading. Emma sighed.

“It does sound like you have the same powers as me,” she admitted. “The jumping is part of the super-strength, and the appetite is definitely related. But what do you want me to do?”

“Train me!” Alex exclaimed. “Please? You must have figured out how to deal with your strength. I’m so worried I’m going to hurt someone.” Emma rubbed her face as she thought.

“OK,” she said finally. “I’ll help you get used to your new strength.” Alex beamed, a wide, dazzling thing. “What else?”

“Huh?” Alex blinked. 

“What else do you want from me?” Emma repeated. “Or is figuring out how to control your strength the only reason you tracked me down?” She was pretty sure she knew why Alex was here, but she needed to hear it before she decided what to do next. Alex flushed.

“Oh, no,” she murmured. “I mean, yes, I definitely want to know how to control my powers, but I also…” she trailed off.

“Yes?”

“I’d also…like help becoming a superhero.” Alex dug her fingers into the side of her legs and turned even pinker.

“ _There_ it is,” Emma said, sitting back in her seat. “I thought so.”

“Isn’t that what our powers are for?” Alex burst out. “Helping people? What’s the point in having them if we don’t use them, and use them for good?” She stopped and slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly, her voice muffled by her hand. “I’m sorry. I know you retired. I didn’t mean to—to imply that you’re—“ She quieted and let her hand drop as Emma shook her head.

“I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I get where you’re coming from, trust me.” Emma chewed her lip as she thought.

“As I said, I’ll help you get used to your new strength. Now you know my secret identity, I don’t really feel like I have a choice,” she said finally. Alex paled.

“Oh no, I wouldn’t tell anyone. Please, I just thought you would be the best person, because they’re the same, you know? Our powers?”

“Calm down, Alex. It’s…fine. We’ll talk about it at another time. As for the superhero thing…we’ll see.” Alex straightened her spine and shot her another dazzling smile.

“Thank you, Ms. Steele!” She flexed her hands, wiggling her fingers. “I promise to do my best!”

“I’m sure you do,” Emma said, smiling faintly.

~~~

After Alex had been sent on her way, Emma had a quiet meltdown in her kitchen.

She had thought she'd been doing so well. She wasn’t secretly stopping bank heists; she'd called someone to remove the tree that fell over in her garden last winter, even though she easily could have moved it herself. She had a good job, and a book club where no one suspected (or at least admitted that they suspected) she used to be the Silver Star. Retiring from the superhero game had been the best decision she’d ever made, really. She’d even started dating again, now that she didn’t have to worry about getting called out in the middle of dinner.

But she hadn’t been able to say no to Alex. Not just because the girl had somehow figured out who she was (who she _used_ to be, she reminded herself), but because she was so earnest. There was an energy about her that reminded Emma of someone she used to know.

Emma wondered how long that earnestness would last.

~~~

“All right,” Emma said, standing in the middle of the warehouse. She'd called in a favor from the old days to get it. “Give me a brief demonstration of everything you can do. Then I'll ask you some questions about your powers, and we'll take it from there. OK?”

“OK!” Alex chirped, rising up on to her toes. She was wearing workout clothes, and Emma couldn't help but notice the way muscles in her arms and legs moved as she stretched.

“Right. So. Let's get started. Why don't you try lifting that tractor?” She pointed at a farm tractor. Alex nodded determinedly and walked over to it. Squatting down, she lifted the front end up and worked her way under and to the middle, balancing it carefully. “How does it feel? Heavy?”

“It's kind of like a backpack,” Alex said, gently hefting the tractor. “Or like my nephew. He's three months old. It's not so bad now, but I wouldn't want to just stand here like this forever.”

“All right, you can put it down then,” said Emma. “Gently.” Alex did and came to stand back in front of her, her fingers laced behind her back.

“Is that it? You don't want to stack a couple of tractors on top of each other and see if I can lift them all?”

“Considering we're just borrowing the space and I don't own the tractors, no.” Emma raised an eyebrow and Alex ducked her head. “This is just to get a baseline. We'll find your limits at another time.”

“Oh. OK.”

The rest of the afternoon passed as Emma had Alex perform a series of tasks to determine the extent of her powers: sprints, high jumps, long jumps, holding her breath, and tests of agility and balance. They stopped for breaks regularly, both of them needing to eat often to maintain their strength.

“One time we'll try it without breaks,” Emma said, leaning against the wall. “Superheroics don't always allow time to grab a snack.” Alex turned to her, eyes wide and shining.

“Superheroics? You mean you'll actually help me become a superhero?”

“Yes,” replied Emma. “ _If_ you tell me how you found out I used to be the Star.” Alex slumped back against the wall, looking down at her lap.

“Oh. Um, yeah. I should probably do that.” She sighed. “It's...a little embarrassing.”

“For you? Or for me?” Emma was even more interested now. “I'm assuming you didn't just ask every 30-something blonde if they were the Silver Star. You knew my name, after all.”

“God, no! And...both?” Alex laughed weakly. “It was--” she mumbled something.

“It was what?” asked Emma impatiently. “I don't have super-hearing.”

“A dating site.” Alex's face was bright red. “I figured out who you were through a dating site.”

“A dating site?” Emma was confused. “How?”

“Um, I was on some forum-- not on the dating site, somewhere else-- and there was a thread about...” she trailed off again. She twisted her fingers together in her lap, refusing to look at Emma.

“About?” Emma prompted.

“There was a thread about 'Worst dates ever' and you _might_ have come up. Once. Or five times. Someone said that they went out with someone who didn't pay attention, left after ordering a huge meal, leaving them with the check, and never returned their calls. And then someone else said that the same thing had happened to them. And then someone mentioned your name-- Emma Steele-- and, and I was interested, because what kind of person does that? So I looked you up and found your dating profile and you, you looked different. Your hair is darker now and you weren't wearing the red lipstick, but. I recognized your eyes.”

“My eyes.” Emma was still processing being found out through a _dating site_. Through a thread about _worst dates ever_. She hadn't thought she was bad enough to be memorable, although she'd noticed that no one ever called her back, but she hadn't thought about it much. She'd only really dated in the middle of her superhero career, before it proved too time-consuming.

“They're a really pretty green,” Alex continued, having apparently decided to get everything out at once. “I had one of your Star posters when I was in college. I had a huge- I really admired you back then. Still do. But I always thought you had the prettiest eyes, and there they were. So I just...figured it out.” Emma laughed. It seemed like the only proper reaction.

“Well,” she said finally. “I can safely say that I never expected being found out like that. Should I change my profile picture, do you think? Something with sunglasses, maybe?”

“Oh! I mean…if you want? I don’t think that most people would figure it out. I just got lucky, and you were on my mind anyway, because of the whole superpowers thing.” Alex paused. “The picture you have is a good one. You look really pretty. Happy.”

“Oh. Thank you,” replied Emma, awkwardly.

There was a moment of quiet before Emma remembered she still needed to ask Alex about her powers. It seemed to be a good, safe way to change the subject.

“So, how did you develop your powers?” She smiled and Alex brightened.

“Oh! I was helping my brother move in to his new apartment, and we were trying to get the couch up the stairs. I had the front end, and he was below me, and I misstepped...lost my grip a little. My brother's not a big guy, and the couch was heavy, and we were nearly at the top of the stairs...I thought for a second the couch was going to fall right onto him and knock him down the stairs. And I tightened my grip and...” she trailed off and shrugged. “I was holding the couch by myself. No problem. It made the rest of the move so much easier.”

“So your family knows about your powers, then?” Alex snorted.

“Yeah. Javi can't keep a secret to save his life. He was on the phone with Marissa like, two seconds after I put the couch down. 'Oh my God, babe, you'll never believe what Alex just did!'” She chuckled. “I wouldn't have wanted to keep it a secret anyway; not from them.” She tilted her head. “How about you? How did you find out about your powers?”

“Car accident. A bad one.”

“Shit. I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry.” Alex apologized. Emma shook her head.

“It's- well, you didn't know.” She couldn’t bring herself to say _It’s OK_. Even after nearly nine years, it still hurt to think about the accident. About Jenny. She slapped her hands on the floor and stood up. “All right, I think that's enough for today. Next time we’ll work on stamina.”

~~~

The next time, they met at a running track. Alex was already there when Emma walked up, stretching and loosening up.

“Hi!” she called when she saw Emma. Emma smiled and waved in return.

“All right, today I want you to start off by running around the track as fast as you can. Got it?” Alex nodded and got into a starting crouch. She counted under her breath, taking off on 'three.' Emma checked the second hand on her watch as Alex tore around the track. “12 seconds!” A little under 75 miles per hour. Fast indeed, although Alex was right-- nowhere close to Lightspeed. Alex beamed at her. “Right, now I want you to run as fast as you can around the track, and don't stop until you can't run anymore. OK?” Alex grimaced but nodded, and took off again.

As she watched Alex run, Emma thought more about her time as a superhero. She didn't regret resigning, no matter how her heart hurt whenever she turned on the news to see some terrible event happening close by. But...there was a rush to being the Silver Star, to seeing the looks on people's faces as she sped by them, to saving lives and defeating supervillains. She thought about her own experiences, and about Alex. The girl definitely had the will to become a hero-- she was just as bright and eager now as she was the day they met. She was strong, and fast, and Emma didn't doubt she would be just as good as she had been, back in her prime, if not better. There were just two things she was worried about.

“Alex,” she said as Alex flopped down on the grass at her feet. Emma handed her a water bottle and several protein bars. “You mentioned that your brother can't keep a secret. How do you think that’s going to affect your being a superhero? You might not be able to have a secret identity, and that could end up placing a lot of people in danger.” Alex chugged the water bottle and ate a power bar before answering.

“I've thought about that too. Javi has a big mouth, and he tells Marissa pretty much everything. But- I know what I said, but I know he can keep a secret if it's really important.”

“Spontaneously developing powers isn't important?” Emma raised an eyebrow.

“If I had told him to keep it a secret, really told him, he would have.” Alex's voice had started out sure, but it slipped into something softer and more nervous as she continued. “He kept my biggest secret for two years, until I was ready to tell my parents. He saw me with my first girlfriend, and I was so scared back then. But I asked him not to tell anyone, and he didn't. And my parents didn't tell the rest of my family either, not until I was ready. So I think, I think it's OK? And I also think that...that it's better if my family knows I'm a superhero, you know? So they can prepare themselves if something bad happens. They can be safer that way than if they didn't know anything.” She twisted the protein bar wrapper in between her fingers. “Right? That makes sense?”

“It does,” Emma admitted. She watched Alex's hands for another moment before bringing up her second point of concern. “Are you sure that being a superhero is…right for you?”

“What? What do you mean?” Alex stared at Emma, eyes wide with hurt and confusion. Emma gestured at her hands.

“You fidget a lot, and you always seem really nervous. Being a superhero is a big deal, and unless you put a lot of effort into never being seen, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the public eye. Are you sure you can deal with that?” To her surprise, Alex burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped in between laughs. “It’s just…I’m really not a nervous person at all. I’m actually really outgoing. I love being in the public eye. I only get this way around people...people I really like.”

“Oh,” Emma’s cheeks grew warm. _Stop that_ , she reprimanded herself. “Well. That’s something.” Alex smiled tiredly at her and ate another protein bar.

~~~

They continued to meet. Once a week, Emma would give Alex something to do with her powers, to test them or finesse her control, and after they would talk, about their powers and their lives. Emma looked forward to these meetings, to seeing Alex’s bright face and hearing her low voice. She enjoyed their conversations.

It was becoming a bit of a problem, really. Six weeks in, Emma realized she hadn’t been on a date since meeting Alex, and more than that, she hadn’t even glanced at her dating profile, aside from changing the picture. Or felt like it, even.

_Stop it_ , she told herself. _You can’t fall for Alex_. Point: _She’s far too young for you._

Counterpoint: _Alex doesn’t seem to care about the age difference_ , a treacherous voice whispered in the back of her head.

Counter-Counterpoint: _You were starting fifth grade when she was born_ , she reminded herself.

Counter-Counter-Counterpoint: _Is the age difference really so important now? Alex is 25 after all, an adult, with a life and a good head on her shoulders, and she clearly likes you_. Emma changed tactics.

Point: _I’m her teacher. It would be unethical._

Counterpoint: _You won’t be her teacher forever. And it’s not exactly a traditional student-teacher relationship, is it now? More of a mentorship._

Counter-Counterpoint: _It’s still not right. She trusts me, and I don’t want to take advantage of her._

Counter-Counter-Counterpoint: _I don’t think she’ll see it that way precisely_ because _she trusts you._

Point: _Can I really get involved with a superhero, even a would-be superhero? It's very dangerous, and there’s a reason I left._

Counterpoint: _You know what to expect, and you can help her through those problems the way you wished someone would help you._

She sighed and stopped arguing with herself. Sometimes the best defense was to completely ignore the problem until it went away. That seemed like the best course of action for the moment.

~~~

Two days before their next scheduled meeting, Alex called Emma in a panic.

“Alex? Alex, breathe. I can’t understand you. Breathe, OK? In, two three. Hold. Hold. Aaaand, out slowly. Again. In, two, three and hold. And hold. And again, breathe out slowly.” Her heart was in her throat as Alex let out a shuddery breath, but she kept her voice calm and even. “All right, tell me what’s going on. Are you all right? Do you need me to help?”

“Emma, Emma, I messed up,” Alex sobbed. “Oh God, I fucked up so bad.”

“Alex, please, tell me what happened. Are you hurt?”

“No.” Alex took another deep shuddery breath and let it out in a wild laugh. “No, I’m definitely not hurt. _Fuck_.”

“Is someone else hurt, then?” Alex’s breath hitched and Emma felt the bottom of her stomach drop out. “What happened, Alex? I need you to tell me.” She spoke gently but firmly, and Alex’s breathing quieted as she pulled herself together enough to talk.

“I was holding Sam, my nephew, you know? I had him sitting on my knee, just bouncing him a little, and then Javi started teasing me. It wasn’t…it wasn’t even a big deal, we tease each other all the time. But I dunno, I just got pissed, and I must have squeezed Sam, because he started screaming, and I keep feeling his little ribs bending under my hands, and oh God, Emma, I _hurt_ him. He’s just a baby, and I hurt him!”

“Alex, keep breathing.” Emma took a deep breath herself. “This is bad. I understand why you're so upset. Now tell me what happened next.”

“Marissa took Sam and he just keep screaming. She took him to the hospital; she’s there now, with Javi. But before he left, Javi told me I’m not allowed back until I can control my powers better, and he sounded so _angry_. And so scared of me. But he’s right. If I forget myself while getting teased, how am I going to handle something big? Like aliens? And poor Sam; if I’ve seriously hurt him I don’t know how I’m going to live with myself.” There was a beep. “Hold on, that’s Marissa. I’ll call you back.”

Emma slumped back. They should have worked on control sooner—it was one of the most important things about superstrength. She couldn’t help but feel that she’d failed Alex, and it felt like forever before her phone rang again.

“Yes? How is he?” she asked. There was a snuffly laugh on the other end.

“His ribs are bruised, but they’re not fractured or broken. He’s…he’s going to be OK. Mari even said that she knew it wasn’t my fault, but she doesn’t want to see me again either until I can control my strength. She sounded so tired and small. And it was my fault.”

“I’m so sorry, Alex,” Emma said. “I should have worked on your control earlier. That was supposed to be the next lesson, but I should have started with that. I’ve just had control of my powers for so long, I forgot how difficult it could be at the beginning.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Alex insisted. “I asked you about learning to control my powers first, and I let my dreams of being a superhero take priority instead.” Emma laughed shakily at that.

“Let’s not play the blame game at the moment. What do you want to do now?” She had meant to say next, but the now slipped out before she could help it.

“Could I come over?” Alex asked. “I don’t want to be alone, and you’re the only one who could understand right now.”

And really, how could Emma say no?

~~~

When Alex knocked at the door, Emma practically leapt off the couch to answer. Alex threw herself into Emma’s arms, tucking her head into her shoulder.

“Thank you,” she murmured. Emma stroked her back.

“Of course,” she said. “I made hot chocolate, if you want some. I find a warm drink helps when you’re upset.” Alex nodded and stepped back. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and Emma had to tamp down the swell of affection and concern that rose within her.

They sat on the couch, each holding a mug of hot chocolate. Alex didn’t say anything, and Emma didn’t press her. Sometimes you didn’t need to talk; you just needed someone else to be there with you.

After a while, Alex put her mug on the coffee table and sat back. She stared into space, twisting her fingers in her lap. Emma decided to break the silence.

“Do you know why I retired?” she asked. Alex turned to her in surprise.

“No,” she replied. “I always thought…I assumed it was because of the bus. All those people.” Emma grimaced.

“No. Well, not only because of the bus. That definitely played a part, but…” she paused. “I think I should start at the beginning. Remember I said that I got my powers because of a car accident?” Alex nodded. “I was with my…my girlfriend. Jenny. She didn’t make it.”

“I’m so sorry,” Alex said, reaching out and placing a hand on Emma’s shoulder. Emma pat it gently.

“Thank you. It was…very difficult, dealing with Jenny’s death and my new powers. The first few months were…not great. But the best thing about Jenny was her energy—she was so bright, so vital. She wanted to help people so much. She was a social worker, which I admired because I could never do that, and I thought—what better way to honor the woman I loved than by doing good, the way she always did? I had powers, so I might as well use them.”

“The Silver Star.”

“The Silver Star,” Emma confirmed. “Although that name was given to me by the press. I didn’t think of coming up with a name myself. I was just trying to help. Superheroes weren’t as much of a thing back then.” She huffed a laugh. “’Back then,’ I say. It was eight years ago, wasn’t it? It seems like longer.”

“The world changes so quickly,” Alex said. She’d shifted closer while Emma was talking.

“It does. Anyway, I threw myself into it at first. No job was too small for the Star. I gained a lot of attention very quickly, and…it helped, for a while. When I was the Star, I wasn’t missing Jenny. I wasn’t grieving. I was a symbol, something good and righteous. I felt better; after a while I decided to try having a personal life again. You’ve seen how well that went.” Alex smiled.

“Worst date ever.”

“Apparently,” Emma sighed, and smiled back. “Things were…steady, for a while. The last year, though, it changed. I don’t think the job changed, but I did. I wasn’t over Jenny’s death—I don’t know if I ever will be—but I’d accepted it. It became part of the background noise, always present just…muted. And superheroing didn’t feel as good anymore.” She turned and looked into Alex’s eyes. “It’ll break your heart, you know. Being a superhero. You can’t save everyone all the time. If you still want to do this, I’ll help you. But you have to know that there are going to be days where it hurts.”

“I know,” Alex replied. “But I have a strong heart.” She thumped a fist against her chest. “I don’t want to do this because it’s easy; I want to do it because it’s right. It’s right for me, and I'll have people who support me through the hard times. I don’t think- it sounds like it wasn’t right for you. And you were all alone.”

“No, it wasn't right for me.” Emma bit her lip. “And the isolation...It began wearing at me, and then there was Tarantella and I tried so hard, Alex, so hard to save everyone. But I didn’t see that bus, and I couldn’t stop that building when it fell.” Alex squeezed her shoulder again. “It was the last straw, really. I…didn’t deal with it well. It reminded me of Jenny, and why I’d started, and all I could think about was how I wanted to stop. So I did. It took me a while to get my act together and draft a statement, but I couldn’t be the Silver Star anymore.”

“What about after? Did you tell anyone or ask for help?” Alex asked. Emma shook her head.

“I visited my parents, but I hadn’t told them about being the Star, and I didn't feel like I could. I just told them it was about Jenny; that I realized I needed to take care of myself better and make some changes.”

“I’m so sorry,” Alex said. She twisted and hugged Emma gently. “That must have been so difficult. I don’t know what I would do without you to talk to, or without my family.”

“I hope you’ll be a better hero than I was,” Emma said, hugging her back. “You could be so great. I want you to be great.”

Alex yawned, her chin digging into Emma’s shoulder.

“Sorry,” she said, pulling back. “It’s been an exhausting day. I should go.”

“Wait.” Emma spoke quickly, before she could overthink. “You should stay here tonight. I have a guest room. That way, if you need anything, I’ll be here. And we can start work on your control first thing tomorrow.”

“Really?” Alex blinked wonderingly at her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” said Emma, taking the plunge. “I’m sure.”

~~~

They both called in sick to work the next day. Emma started the day by handing Alex an egg.

“Egg baby,” she said. Alex stared blearily at her. She sighed. “Take care of that egg for the whole day; no breaking it, no putting it down. It has to be on your person at all times. OK?” Alex nodded.

She made it two hours.

~~~

Over the next few weeks, Alex and Emma met increasingly in order to work on Alex’s control. She would visit Emma’s after work, or Emma would come by her place after dinner. They would review the previous lesson and decide what needed to be improved.

Alex broke a lot of eggs at first, but she was a fast learner. After two weeks she was able to safely cradle an egg in one hand and punch through a pile of cement bricks with the other. After three, she was able to determine how much power she should put into a jump after a brief glance of the terrain, so as not to overshoot or damage anything.

One Saturday morning, Emma showed up at Alex’s apartment with coffee in one hand and a box of one thousand sheets of origami paper.

“Arts and crafts?” Alex asked, letting Emma in.

“Fine motor control,” Emma replied. “I’ll be right back—the sheet metal’s in my car.”

“The what?” But Emma was already halfway down the stairs.

When she returned, she dropped the reusable Home Depot bag she’d been carrying onto the table. Alex peered inside to see several dozen squares of thin metal.

“OK,” Emma said, sitting down and taking a sip of her coffee. “How good are you at origami?”

“Bad,” replied Alex. “I’m not very artistic.”

“That’s fine. That’s why I bought the thousand-pack. Just watch me.” Emma took out a sheet of paper and laid it flat on the table. “We’re going to do something easy. A fish. Now, watch closely.” She began folding, up and down and in little increments, and when she was finished there was something that resembled a fish in front of her.

“Can you do that again?” Alex asked. “I don’t think I got all of that.” Emma smiled.

“Of course.” She took another piece of paper from the pack and began folding, explaining what she was doing as she went. Alex watched the paper avidly, tracking the folds.

“OK,” she said when Emma had finished. “I think I have it. Let me try.”

Her first attempt came out lopsided. She grimaced and pushed it away.

“It’s all right,” Emma laughed. “Try again, slowly. I’ll tell you what to do as you go.”

This time, the fish came out more-or-less right. Alex smiled proudly at Emma.

“Good job,” Emma said. “Now fold ten more.” Alex sighed and took out ten pieces of origami paper.

“Very good,” said Emma, when Alex had finished. “Now twenty more.”

“What?” Alex’s face fell. Emma said nothing. “Fine.”

“Thirty more,” chirped Emma when Alex looked up at her from her stack of paper fish. Alex stuck out her tongue but complied. She was folding them more quickly now, and more uniformly. When she folded the last fish, her hand reached out to grab another piece of paper before Emma could say anything.

Emma watched Alex’s hands. She’d noticed them the first day, of course, fidgeting away, but they were really wonderful. Strong, with long fingers, nails kept neat. They were warm, too, Emma remembered.

“Emma,” Alex asked, jolting Emma from her staring. “Are you happy?” She kept folding.

“What? Oh, yes? I guess so,” said Emma, startled. “I’m not _un_ happy.” She paused. “Why do you ask?”

“I just was thinking,” Alex said, still mechanically folding fish. “I feel like you’ve been unhappy for a long time, and you deserve to be happy.” She looked up and made eye contact with Emma. “I want you to be happy. I really like you.”

“Oh.” Emma felt the blood rush to her face. She felt dizzy, but in a good way, like all those years ago when Jenny had admitted she liked her back. “I…thank you.”

“I just wanted you to know,” Alex said, lowering her eyes back to her origami. “You don’t have to say anything back. I hope I haven’t made things awkward.”

“No, it’s fine,” Emma replied. “I…I think you’re wonderful.” Alex looked up, her eyes and her smile wide and shining.

“Wow,” she said. Her mouth worked but she didn’t be able to think of anything else to say. “Wow,” she said again. She looked back down at her fish, still smiling. “I think I’ve done a hundred of these. Can I stop?”

“Oh, yes.” Emma pulled herself out of her daze. There would be time to think about this later, when she wasn’t trying to teach Alex something. “Good job. Now, the next step is to use the metal sheets to make fish.”

“Ah!” Alex straightened up and pulled the Home Depot bag closer. “Because it’s stronger than paper, right?”

“Right,” Emma confirmed. “You need to be able to use your strength for fine work. You never know when you might need to be both fiddly and strong. But if you use too much strength, you’ll crumple the metal. It’s a balance.” Alex mouthed the word ‘balance’ as she took the first sheet of metal out of the bag.

The first attempt at a fish was a failure, as was the second. By the third, Alex seemed to have an idea of what needed to be done, and by the ninth she managed to produce something that looked as good as her paper fish.

“Excellent!” Emma applauded and smiled.

“Again?” Alex asked, already reaching for another sheet.

“Again.”

By lunch, Alex had a small school of metal fish mixed in with the paper fish. As Emma prepared to leave, Alex grabbed one and handed it to her.

“For you,” she said. Emma took it with a small smile.

“Thank you.” Alex smiled back and Emma noticed her drumming her fingers against the sides of her legs. She waited for Alex to speak.

“So, um, do you...do you want to go out some time?” Alex asked. “Just once? No superhero or training stuff, just to see if it's possible?” Emma thought briefly that she should have been more surprised at how quickly she had an answer.

“I'd love to.”

~~~

_Six weeks later_

Emma’s phone chirped as she left work. Glancing at it, she saw that Alex sent her a text. She smiled and opened it, and her smile grew wider when she saw the message.

Alex had texted her a picture of a chubby baby, asleep in a crib under a mobile made of brightly painted folded metal sea creatures. It wasn’t clear in the picture, but Emma knew their sharp points and edges had been carefully blunted, so as not to accidentally cut someone.

_Brought Sam a present_ , the text read. _Talked to Javi and Mari. They say I can play with him when he wakes up, but no holding him yet. Baby steps! Thank you again so much. Couldn’t have done it without you._

Emma quickly texted back a reply.

_He’s adorable! And of course. Celebratory dinner tomorrow night? The Italian place?_

Her phone chirped again a minute later.

_What about my place? Javi and Mari say they want to meet you._

Another text, right on the heels of the last one.

_Don’t worry. I didn’t mention the Star/your superpowers. They want to meet my gf._

Emma felt her chest grow warm as she read Alex’s message. She had thought she was too old to feel giddy at the thought of being someone’s girlfriend, but it was nice to be proven wrong sometimes. She stood by her car, holding the moment close. 

_Sounds great_ , she texted back.

~~~

_One month later_

“OK, I'm ready now. Don't laugh?”

“Why would I laugh? This is exciting; a sneak peek of your superhero costume!”

“It's just...I know I told the Tailor purple, but I didn't expect it to be so... _purple_.”

“First rule of superheroing, Alex: never question the Tailor.”

“I thought it was 'Never tell someone your secret identity unless you completely trust them'?”

“Well, you broke that one before you even knew about it, so that's the new number one.”

“I didn't.”

“Didn't what?”

“Break the secret identity rule. I always trusted you.”

“Oh. I- come out here, Alex. I want to see you.”

“Well? How do I look?”

“You look amazing. Now catch me in your strong arms while I swoon.”

The sound of laughter filled the apartment.

~~~

_PURPLE POWERHOUSE PUNCHES PERNICIOUS PIRATES!_  
July 7, 2016  
It seems that Venn City has a new superhero on the scene. Yesterday afternoon, the figure, who has asked to be called 'the Comet,' foiled an attack by noted pirate-themed villain duo, Hook and Aye, on the annual Yacht Club Fundraiser. 


End file.
